Quoting Seemyseems (Reply 4):GOL was the likely member in Brazil to be the SkyTeam member, its good to see VARIG are in the deal too!

If they do join, its like Star gets CO and Sky gets VARIG.

It seems they will try hard to become SkyTeam member in the near future (i believe in 2010). GOL's CEO today said that they probably will look for a similar partnership with KE and in my view DL will be another one.

GOL will offer AF/KL 13 markets outside of GIG and GRU for their up to 35 weekly flights to Brazil.

Quoting LipeGIG (Reply 5):It seems they will try hard to become SkyTeam member in the near future (i believe in 2010). GOL's CEO today said that they probably will look for a similar partnership with KE and in my view DL will be another one.

GOL will offer AF/KL 13 markets outside of GIG and GRU for their up to 35 weekly flights to Brazil.

Do you think GOL will order long haul aircraft? It would be good seeing them with long haul aircraft.

They advertise themselves as a LCLF but in fact they are not a LF. Concerning to Cost, i would just say that they moved in a recent past to a fancy rented AA building in one of the most expensive districts of São Paulo. The good think is that they realize is not feasible and moved back to a cheap small office building in CGH.
They have fares closer to TAM and offer now even a Frequent Flyer Program.

Just a question for our Brazilian friends. Why the need to have separate Gol and Varig brands, liveries and identities, if both carriers have a frequent flyer program? Is the only real difference the Varig premium seats in the front of the plane?

Quoting EddieDude (Reply 10):Just a question for our Brazilian friends. Why the need to have separate Gol and Varig brands, liveries and identities, if both carriers have a frequent flyer program? Is the only real difference the Varig premium seats in the front of the plane?

Quoting Hardiwv (Reply 12):Congratulations to GOL. I think GOL slowly will transform its model to become a legacy carrier. GOL will offer important feed traffic in GRU/GIG to SkyTeam.

I know for sure KE and DL are both eager to sign a partnership with GOL

Well, it will make a lot of sense if G3 would also enter into discussions with AM. AM would definitely have a competitive advantage over MX if it is able to secure a local partner in Brazil. On the other hand, G3 passengers would have the chance to go to MEX and other AM destinations on a single ticket

Quoting EddieDude (Reply 13):Well, it will make a lot of sense if G3 would also enter into discussions with AM. AM would definitely have a competitive advantage over MX if it is able to secure a local partner in Brazil

Hi, Eddie. You are correct, it will make a lot of sense. And in many aspects GOL already offers a service equivalent to legacy carriers. It service level is comparable to European airlines service level inside Europe routes, for example.

Quoting EddieDude (Reply 13):So eventually the only identity will be Gol? So only certain destinations will get business class seats, or will a premium cabin eventually expand to a larger portion of the routemap?

In fact, RG and GOL have unified many operations, including Smiles which is the FF program, online sales of tickets, and check-in counters. RG-operated routes inside South America get premium cabin (Comfort Class). There is not talk of route expansion inside GOL.

Quoting EddieDude (Reply 13):Well, it will make a lot of sense if G3 would also enter into discussions with AM. AM would definitely have a competitive advantage over MX if it is able to secure a local partner in Brazil

Eddie, good point but AM already have a huge advantage over MX flights because it offer both legs with overnight flights (plus the fact it's a daily service).

Quoting Hardiwv (Reply 14):In fact, RG and GOL have unified many operations, including Smiles which is the FF program, online sales of tickets, and check-in counters. RG-operated routes inside South America get premium cabin (Comfort Class). There is not talk of route expansion inside GOL

In fact GOL will even reduce their network. SCL is expected to be reduced to a weekend route only and BOG will face some cancellations during the next weeks. In the other hand, TAM just confirmed a second flight to SCL, which also will allow LH customers to board on an international flight out of GIG for connections at GRU

Right Felipe. An AM - RG/G3 agreement would only give AM a bigger edge over MX with respect to the Mexico-Brazil market, and it would give RG/G3 flyers access to a number of additional destinations in Mexico and potentially in the U.S. west coast.

Why not? Interline agreements between carriers that belong to different alliances are quite common, and are in the best interest of the public. AM for example has interline agreements with carriers as diverse as UA, JJ and QF for example, among many, many others.

Quoting EddieDude (Reply 22):Right Felipe. An AM - RG/G3 agreement would only give AM a bigger edge over MX with respect to the Mexico-Brazil market, and it would give RG/G3 flyers access to a number of additional destinations in Mexico and potentially in the U.S. west coast

Eddie, i see such movements by G3/VRG as a future welcome card to SkyTeam. UX, AF/KL, soon DL, next probably AM and KE.... and soon a member!

Quoting LipeGIG (Reply 23):Eddie, i see such movements by G3/VRG as a future welcome card to SkyTeam. UX, AF/KL, soon DL, next probably AM and KE.... and soon a member

Lipe, the question is... Doesn't an airline need a considerable long haul network to belong to an airline alliance? Wasn't that the first reason why old RG got kicked out of Star Alliance?
And with Gol reducing even more RG's network, how would joining any alliance be feasible at all?

25 EddieDude
: I was under the impression that the exit of RG from Star actually had to do with the RG's implosion and the fact that it had to be rescued and restru

26 Ocracoke
: See OK. An early member of Sky. Very few long haul routes.

27 LipeGIG
: It's not necessary or required to have a long haul network to belong to an airline alliance. There's some examples as CM and Spanair. AF/KL/DL for su

28 AwysBSB
: Good news for Smiles participants: From May 1st to July 31, Smiles will offer double miles for participants that fly on Air France -- KLM flights. Rul

29 Seemyseems
: I like the way they have the SkyTeam logo next to the AF and KL logos! Hopefully they will join SkyTeam. SkyTeam loses CO and gains RG a former Star

30 LipeGIG
: Not at this time. They had a very bad experience in 2006/2007 and still have 5-6 B763ER which lessors wont accepted the break on the lease agreements

31 AwysBSB
: If they revamped the remaining 763s to operate them on actual premium services to MAD, MIA and JFK, they would have good results.

32 Tonytifao
: I agree. Why not use some common sense and add some new comfortable seats, PTVs and fly those birds to MIA or JFK?

33 LipeGIG
: If they decide to update the 763 with PTVs and nice (and of course comfortable) seats for C, they should first use them to recover BOG and CCS. Later

34 AwysBSB
: 738s are fine, the problem is the poor G3's service. The wrong move is IB maintains so many frequencies to GRU. If RG resumed its service to MAD, it

35 LipeGIG
: But the 738 is far from being comfortable for such a long trip. And they can't have two different planes... so the 763 become an interesting choice.

36 Seemyseems
: That would be very ideal, LAN did an excellant job with their B763's.

37 LipeGIG
: Agree, the 763 it's a very nice plane for AM, MX, AV, CO, AC, for example, in the Americas also. An updated 763 is a nice product and people like it.

38 DELTA7478
: I just hope that these is a sing that there moving towards SkyTeam, Doeas anybosy know if GOL will change their name to just VARIG and update there ai